Magazine pencil



J. A. HARVEY MAGAZINE PENc'IL June zo, 195o Filed June '7, 1949 A MSK Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John A; la'ldIEnglamd Application June '1, 1949, serieuse, 97,647 In `Great Britain June 25, 1948 5 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-44.3)

This invention relates to magazine pencils.

The object' of this invention is to' provide a pencil which can be adapted to hold a` large number of leads of different colours or of degrees of hardness of the same colouror both. Hitherto the number of colours or dii'erentr leads which can be contained in a, pencil has been restrcted by a form of construction which provides a separate holder or gripping device for each different lead and a radical'chang'e indesign is necessary to provide a magazine pencil which contains many colours orleads and which is at the same time compact. Further as coloured leads are brittle and fragile it is lessential that they should be firmly gripped not atV one point I only but along a substantialV portion of their length and that the diameter of the leads should be as large as possible.

lt has already been proposed to arrange the feed of different leadsfinside a hollow shell by gravity to a single gripping device through slots' cut in a central tube and barrel with appropriate registration mechanism but this arrangement limits the number of leads which can be disposed on a circle oi given radius whereas in the are rangement now proposed leads can be disposed on acircle with minimum clearance between'each other and which, falling vertically, are brought to the chuck head without the aid of any mechanical device other than aspecially shaped circular groove so inclined as to cause' the' jaws i to separate or come together, and a chuck closing member mounted thereon; the second end member also having a passage therein for feed-'K ing a lead from a peripheral position into an'- axial position for passage intothe chuck whilst the first end member is provided with anactuating member for a rod passing through the tube and the second end member carrying the chuck.' for moving the chuck, the magazine being rotatable relatively to the end members soas to bring one' of the leads therein into register with the passage' in the rst end member".

Two or more magazines maybe mounted between the end members and are rotatable independently of one another.

2,. The magazine' or magazines are'preferably provided internally with leadtpositioning elements formed by scolloping the interior so that'it` eX- tendsonl'ypartlyaroundthe leads in orderl that f the-latter maybe arranged adjacent as closely as possible one vto another. Axial support is providedv by thetube'jining the end: member.

The-invention will'now' beldescribed by way of examplen with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein): n

Fig. l isan elevationoflvamagazine pencil.

Fig'. 2 is avertical` section ofA theA magazine pencil shown in Fig.' l; y

I Fig.. 3l iscross setionfontlie'line ITIL-IH; of Fig; l'.Y

Figs. lA and are'cross sections ori the lines IV-IVl andiVle-V, of'Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings a magazine vpencil isS provided with twofmagazines I, 2 of circular cross-sectionarranged end-to end. Each magazine I, 2 is provided with-fa number of compartments 9, I-Il- I'ntlieex'amplefshown each' magazine hasv eight'`A compartments; The compartments 9,' I/y are arranged substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 3. v

The upperend- 3 of theupper magazine I is closedexceptfor a central opening 4.l The upper end" 3 is: also provided with'an upstanding boss 5 threaded externally by means: of which it screws into ahollfow cap" 6` provided'with a'centralcpening' T attsi upperend.

Thelower magaziiief 2'; is closed at its upper endl; as indicated at 8, except in' one compartnientI II'. Therriaga'zine 2 bears at its lower end against a flange I2 of an externally threaded member" I3 provided'i-nritsi periphery withl a Iongitudna-lrecess t4 communicating with an openirig" I 5 in the? flange II In the memberstfis securedfcentra'lly the lower endofaV tubev It 'which'passes axially and freely through?centrallon'gitudinalbores Il. i8 in the magazines l, Atftheupperiend ofthe tube I6 is a blissj I-9 which is ifovdedw'ith a diametrical saw cut 'to facilitatthe'turning thereof by a suitable' tool;

o'r'tiememberI i3 screwed'oneend'of a tubular member l2 f infwhiclr isslidably mounted a metal member`22 In the member '22 i'sprovidda lead] passage 23n shaped'Y as shown but of'a, width only slightly exceeding thediameter of the'leadof'which the inlet" 2T is" located laliterallyof"l the longitudinal axis '51T offthelgmember 22, while" its outlet 26 is located? axfiaiiyof the member 22. y

On the lowerend ofthe member 22 Ais screwed chuck member 32, 33, 34 has a hooked memberv 35 which rests upon the nange 29. The circular ribs 35, as they move down or up the inclined circular grooves 35 cause the chuck memgravity into the passage 23 and passes to the top of the chuck 32, 33, 34. The actuating member 31 is then pushed inwardly as a result of which the rod 38 pushes downwardly the chuck 32, 33, 34. The circular grooves 35 thus expand the jaws 32, 33, 34 of the chuck so as to enable the lead to pass into the chuck. When the lead projects the required distance from the chuck the actuating member 3l is released whereby the spring 48 returns the member 22 to its normal position, whereby the chuck is drawn into the member 3D so that it is caused to grip bers 32, 33, 3'3 to move apart or come together.

In the cap 6 is slidably mounted an actuating end of a rod 38 which passes freely through the tube I6. At its lower end the rod 38 is screw threaded and engages with a threaded boss 39 on the member 22.

The boss 33- ts into a recess in the flanged member I2, I3. In order to prevent relative turning movement between the member 22 and the tubular member 2I', the member 22 is provided with a lateral projection 43 which engages with a longitudinal recess 4I in the inner surface of the member 2l.

A coiled return spring 48 is coiled around the rod 38 between the actuating member 31 and the closed end of the magazine I. The compartments 9, IU of the magazines l, 2, which are held axially in position by the tube I6 are each adapted to receive a lead 42, 43. No lead is placed intol the compartment II of the magazine 2.

When thev pencil is provided with a single magazine such as I I, all the compartments I3 are closed at the upper end.

The compartment II in the magazine 2 provides a transit chamber to enable a lead from the magazine I to pass through magazine 2 into the passage 23.

The magazines I, 2 are rotatable on the tube I6 and are preferably made of transparent material showing the colour, number and lengths of leads available.

The magazines I, 2 may 'be provided on the outside with markings indicating the particular leads or colours thereof and areadapted to be brought into register with a xed mark on the iiange I2 or on the outside of a fixed portion of the pencil.

The magazine 2 may be omitted in which case the tube IS and rod 38 are shortened or the magazine I and the parts 2| and 22 suitably lengthened to take longer leads.

If desired one or more additional magazines similar to 2 may be provided, the tube I6 and rod 38 being then correspondingly lengthened, whilst one compartment similar to the comparte ment II, in each additional magazine is left free as a transit tube so that when they are brought into register a lead from the uppermost magazine I can be allowed to drop through them to the passage 23 in the member 22. Y

For the purpose of feeding a lead to the chuck 32, 33, 34, the particular lead is rst selected and assuming thisris in magazine 2, the latter is turned so as to bring thislead opposite opening I5, recess I4 and the inlet 24 into the passage 23. When the pencil is held substantiallyvertically, thelead then drops underthe action of Q the lead su nrmly.

For advancing the lead the member 31 is again `pressed so as to release the lead 5D.

For returning the lead 50 to its magazine the f PBDC'S turned upside down and after the magamember 3l which projects slightly therefrom: The actuating member is secured to theuppm` A. ,3.

zine 2 has been set in the required position. should it have been turned intentionally or accidentally, the actuating knob 31 is pushed inwardly so as to open the chuck and to allow the lead 50 to return to its position or compartment in the magazine.

When however a lead is to be passed from magazinell tothe chuck, the magazine 2 is first turned so as to bringvthe empty compartment II (transit chamber) into alignment with the inlet 24 whilst magazine I is turned into such a position that the required lead is in alignment with the empty compartment II (transit chamber) in magazine 2 thus connecting the required space or compartment in magazine I with the inlet 24. After the pencil has been brought substantially into a vertical position the member 3T is then pressed as above described so as to enable the lead to fall by gravity into the chuck when the operations above described are carried out. For returning the lead to its compartment the operations are similar to those above described except lthat the empty compartment I I (transit chamber) of magazine 2 must be brought into register with the inlet 24 and the required compartment of magazine I should there have been any displacement of these parts while the pencilis in use.

f I claim: y

l. A magazine pencil wherein at least one magazine, for a number of leads, is located rotatably between iirst and second end members secured together by tubular member which passes centrally through the magazine, one of passage therein for guiding a lead from a peripheral position into an axial position for passage intofthe chuck, whilev the rst end member is provded'with an acutating member for a rod passing through the tube and the second end member for moving the chuck, the magazine being rotatable relatively to the end members so as to bring one of the leads therein into register with the first end member.

2. A magazine pencil according to claim 1, wherein more than one magazine are mounted end to end between the end members and are rotatable independently of one another.

, 3, A magazine ypencilaccording to claim 2, wherein the magazines are provided internally with lead receiving compartments, the magazine furthest removed from the chuck having its end remote from the chuck closed, the remaining magazines having one compartment therein open at both ends.

4. A magazine pencil according to claim 1, wherein the chuck is composed of a number of elements of which the upper hooked ends rest upon the interior of av spring ring secured to the chuck actuating member, the jaws of the chuck being guided by circular ribs engaging with circular grooves in a conically bored member.

5. A magazine pencil according to claim 1 wherein the passage is shaped to bring the lead from a peripheral position lateral of the longitudinal axis of the pencil to an axial position by gravity when the pencil is in one position and to move the lead from an axial position to a lateral position under the action of gravity when the pencil is turned upside down.

J. A. HARVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Iiile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,584,050 Vail May 11, 1926 2,483,103 Raimondi Sept. 27, 1949 

